Tuesday night, in a collapse fitting for such a shockingly underachieving season, the Bulls officially were eliminated from playoff contention with a 95-88 loss to the Heat, the league's worst team that had lost seven straight.

A season that began with serious aspirations for a conference championship ended meekly, the Bulls surrendering an 11-point, third-quarter lead and resorting to the individualistic play that has defined this season.

Players dribbling with their head down and forcing ill-advised shots. Little ball movement. Even less help defense.

But plenty of blank stares.

"We came out and walked through the motions," a barely audible Luol Deng said. "I don't think we really played to win. The intensity wasn't there. We just played. They came out and played hard, and we, basically, did what we've been doing."

Deng, Ben Gordon and Andres Nocioni had only known NBA seasons that ended with playoff appearances. After one season out of the playoffs following his rookie season, Kirk Hinrich joined them on three straight playoff teams.

In the same locker room where they wildly celebrated last season's sweep, hushed tones prevailed.

"I was shocked pretty much the entire season," Gordon said. "Now you just kind of get numb to it. It's just disappointing."

Hinrich's gaze never left his shoes as he spoke.

"We lost our identity to what got us here," he said. "So whatever happens this off-season, we have to find a way to get back our edge. We need to become a better defensive team. The better teams in the league, those that compete for a championship, almost always are the best defensive teams."

That element completely disappeared in the second half despite the Heat using a lineup that would challenge even the most ardent NBA fan for name recognition. From the time the Bulls took their largest lead at 59-48, they were outscored 47-29, starting with a 12-0 Heat run.

"You can't walk on an NBA court—I don't care who you're playing—and not bring complete effort," interim coach Jim Boylan said. "Those guys we played against, especially in the second half, are playing for something. They're playing to impress people. And they did. They played with a lot more energy than we had. They had a lot more desire. Their will to win was a lot stronger than ours."

And that perhaps is the most damning indictment of a Bulls team that used to draw praise for consistently outworking opponents.

Joakim Noah had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls. Deng led all scorers with 25.

"The whole year has been stressful," Deng said. "We have to face it. This is the end of the year. The damage is done. It's really how it builds you up as a competitor now. I've never been in the NBA and felt like this the whole year."